Panadol products contain paracetamol; do not take it with other medicines that also contain paracetamol. (Paracetamol is an ingredient in many medicines to treat pain, fever and symptoms of cold and flu.)

If you have liver or kidney disease, talk to your doctor before taking paracetamol.

Do not take more than recommended dose, as this may be harmful, including serious harm to your liver.

Do not use if you are allergic to paracetamol or any of the other ingredients in the product.

Before taking this medicine, make sure you consult your doctor if you are taking warfarin or similar medicines used to thin the blood.

Panadol products contain paracetamol; do not take it with other medicines that also contain paracetamol. (Paracetamol is an ingredient in many medicines to treat pain, fever and symptoms of cold and flu.)

If you have liver or kidney disease, talk to your doctor before taking paracetamol.

Do not take more than recommended dose, as this may be harmful, including serious harm to your liver.

Do not use if you are allergic to paracetamol or any of the other ingredients in the product.

Before taking this medicine, make sure you consult your doctor if you are taking warfarin or similar medicines used to thin the blood.

Fever

The normal body temperature is between 36.5°C and 37.5°C. In healthy kids, fevers usually don't indicate anything serious. While it can be worrying when your child's temperature rises, a fever can actually be a good thing — it's often the body's way of fighting infections that are triggered by germs such as the flu virus. High fever, however, can make a child very uncomfortable and worsen problems such as dehydration.

MANAGING CHILDREN’S FEVER

Fevers are extremely common in children, with between 40-60% suffering from a raised temperature each year. The body’s normal temperature is around 37°C. However, it can vary according to the time of day. If your child’s temperature is over 37.5°C when measured orally, or 38°C when taken rectally, they have a fever.24,25,29

A fever in children can often be a good sign. Generally, fevers happen when your child’s immune system is fighting off infections such as a cold or flu, coughs and ear infections. At the first sign of attack, the body’s defences launch infection-fighting chemicals into the blood. These chemicals also affect the body’s thermostat, which is located in the brain and called the hypothalamus.26,27

Taking children’s temperature

There are various ways to take children’s temperature and check for symptoms of fever:29

Orally. The thermometer is inserted under the tongue, the mouth is closed and a reading is taken.

Rectally. The thermometer is gently inserted into the rectum (child’s bottom) and a reading is taken.

Armpits. The thermometer is placed under the armpit and the arm is held against the side of the body while a reading is taken.

Ears. A digital thermometer is inserted into the ear and a reading is taken.

It is important to remember that the temperature can vary according to the part of the body where it is measured, so always take the temperature at the same site.

Tips to reduce fever

If your child has a fever but is fine in every other way, you may not need to do anything aside from making sure they are properly hydrated. When a baby or child is breastfed or bottle-fed, the most appropriate fluid is breast milk or formula. In addition, cooled pre-boiled water can also be given to keep fluids up.24,28

If they seem unwell or distressed then you can consider giving children’s painkillers, such as Panadol®.29

Some other tips include:24,28

dressing the child in light clothing

keeping the child cool by ensuring a comfortable room temperature – take care not to make it too cold

using a sponge soaked with lukewarm water can help to reduce fever – try not to use a cold sponge as this will have the opposite effect and can actually raise their temperature.

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